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DosBox-X

Index

• Installation
• Portable Install
• Executable Install
• How to run

Introducion and Overview

If you have found your way here, you are trying to install DosBox-X, either to emulate early versions of Windows, or like me, play old MSDOS games.
There are two ways of installing DosBox-X for Windows:

• Using a .exe file from the official website, or
• Using a portable .zip file from the official website

Benefits of using an installed version:

• Easy installation
• More feature rich

Downsides include:

• Needing admin permissions to install

Benefits of using a portable version:

• Don't need admin permissions to install

Downsides include:

• Less feature rich
• Runs slower on tasks that require more performance

As a student myself, I find that running DosBox-X as a portable version works just fine for playing games, so as a student that is what I would recommend for other students.

How to Install

Go to https://dosbox-x.com/ and on the left hand side there is a bar on the left hand side and select your installation version. If the website is blocked for you, you can download the portable version here and the installer here.

NOTE: The installer is recommended for Windows 7 and higher, or ReactOS/XP+. The portable version can be run on Windows 9x/NT4+.

Portable Setup

For the portable setup, unzip the file, using either 7zip or the default windows unzipper, then move it to an easily accessible drive. I like to keep mine in the C: drive for easy access. Then create another folder in the C: drive and label it Games or DOSPrograms and put the MSDOS programs inside.

Installer

For the installer, download and run the installer. Click accept for any admin prompts if you have the permissions. If not, install the portable version and follow the directions above. Click through the menu's and select an installation location. I prefer to install mine in the C: drive for easy access, but installing to the desktop also works. Then create another folder, either in the C: drive or the desktop, and create a folder to put your MSDOS Programs in.

Run MSDOS

Find your DosBox-X install, and run dosbox-x.exe. It should bring up a screen like this:



Then type in MOUNT C C:\ , or replace C:\ with whatever letter drive your programs are in and hit enter:



It should bring up a screen like this:



Then type in the directory your game is located in:
(For example, my programs are located in C:\es es locoasmfg\unzips)
NOTE: Long folder names will be shortened to eight characters, not including spaces, and anything longer than that would be LONGFO~1 rather than LONG FOLDER NAME.
TIP: Type ls and hit enter to see a list of directories and files available!



And that's it! To run a file type whateveryourfilenameis.exe and hit enter!